God-centered resources from the ministry of John Piper

I asked the DG Staff to recommend 3 books each that they enjoyed in 2007. Their answers range from Jane Eyre to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant. Although I doubt I will get around to that second one, I expect my reading list to be broader in '08 now that I've seen what my coworkers read in '07. Perhaps the list will be interesting and helpful for you, too.

Larry Agnew (Volunteer Coordinator)

David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
If you’ve only thought about reading it, stop thinking about it and choose it as your next read from among the best of the classics.

The Glory of Christ: His Office and Grace, John Owen
A display of Christ's beauty and glory that brings fresh delight in texts such as, “...beholding His glory we are being transformed…”

The Godly Man’s Picture, Thomas Watson
An unsurpassed portrait of the character of the heavenbound Christian.

Scott Anderson (Director of Events)

Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton
A business book that helps the reader see the innate (and God-given) "themes" that contribute to one's unique hardwiring as a human being.

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, Walter Marshall
An excellent treatise on what it means to live by faith in the Gospel.

Mayflies, Richard Wilbur
A book of poems and translations by the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

Jon Bloom (Executive Director)

American Sphinx, Joseph Ellis
This Pulitzer Prize-winning author reveals what made the inscrutable Thomas Jefferson tick. Very enlightening.

Safely Home, Randy Alcorn
An American and a Chinese, are reunited after 20 years. One is totally unprepared for what he discovers. Each night my 11 and 9 year olds beg for one more chapter.

The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker
I’m not a fan of management literature, but this is a classic for a reason.

Edd Blott (Media Developer)

MacBeth, William Shakespeare
This was my third time around for this fascinating classic about the horrors birthed from one man's lust for power.

The Art of Alfred Hitchcock, Donald Spoto
A compelling analysis of the "Master of Suspense" and his craft.

Save the Cat, Blake Snyder
A look at the anatomy of the screenplay and the elements every good story must have.

Dan Brendsel (Editorial Coordinator)

Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith, Francis Watson
A thought-provoking work by an insightful scholar which aims to show that Paul's doctrine of righteousness by faith comes by way of his interpretation of the Old Testament.

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
A fantastic story about the very short distance between happiness and despair, and life and death in the ordinariness of life.

The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene
A story of sin, grace, and manifesting the glory of God in the life of a whiskey priest in early 20th-century Mexico.

Bryan DeWire (Development Assistant)

The Gospel for Real Life, Jerry Bridges
Great book articulating how the gospel not only saves us but also carries us on until we are with the Lord.

The Last Battle, C. S. Lewis
Last Narnia book that really demonstrates the evil of sin and the glory of goodness.

The Holiness of God, R. C. Sproul
Incredible book that discusses God's holiness and how awful sin is.

Andrea Froehlich (Resource Consultant)

The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, C. J. Mahaney
An amazing book that describes the importance and value of keeping your eyes continually fixed upon the cross. So good!

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Great character development and good story.

The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis
His thoughts help in understanding God, his love for us, and our love for one another. He explains things in an incredible way.

Ryan Golias (Supply Chain Assistant)

Above All Earthly Pow'rs, David F. Wells
The best Christian analysis of culture I have read: well written, insightful, and gospel-exalting.

Phantastes, George MacDonald
Fascinating, strange, familiar, dreamy, escapist, relevant, hard to describe, but well worth reading.

Complete English Poems, George Herbert
Enjoyable for its poetry, enriching in its devotional heart.

Katie Haas (Senior Resource Consultant)

Disciplines of a Godly Woman, Barbara Hughes
Helpful encouragement for women to discipline every area of their lives in order that God is most glorified.

Mark of the Lion series, Francine Rivers
Historical novels that encompass themes of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. Once you begin, it’s hard to put these books down!

Bruchko and the Motilone Miracle, Bruce Olson and James L. Lund
Amazing stories from Bruce Olson’s experience of being a missionary to South America.

Karen Hieb (CDG Manager for Resource Development)

Heaven, Randy Alcorn
A book that I will come back to again and again, both for myself and for others as I seek to share the hope of our Great God.

Home to Holly Springs, Jan Karon
This new series is probably Jan's best yet. The characters are so real and she makes conversations about faith so natural.

My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
A boy with prodigious artistic ability grows up in a Hasidic Jewish family in the 1940s. Focuses especially on the boy and his father as they struggle to try to understand one another.

Kate Martin (Supply Chain Coordinator)

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, Howard and Geraldine Taylor
A challenging and thought-provoking story of God’s work in and through a missionary’s life.

Till We Have Faces, C. S. Lewis
An intriguing book recounting an old mythological tale.

God Knows My Size, Harvey Yoder
Sylvia Tarniceriu’s life story of how God revealed himself to her as a little girl growing up in communist Romania.

David Mathis (Executive Pastoral Assistant)

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, Don Carson.
A moving and deeply encouraging read for those with a pastor’s heart.

Church History in Plain Language, Bruce Shelley
Easy to read but very broad in scope; a great way to get into church history.

When Grief Comes, Kirk Neely
Wisdom from a veteran pastor who has suffered deeply and helped many fellow sufferers.

Jeff McFadden (Programmer)

Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
A fascinating look at how people respond to incentives, helping to explain why many things are the way they are.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling
Fantastic ending to a very entertaining series.

Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell
A classic, simple summary of economic truths. Requires no prior knowledge and teaches a wealth of information that everyone should know.

Peter Melling (IT Manager)

Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace, Gary and Betsy Ricucci
A look at marriage through the lenses of grace and the Gospel.

The Magician's Nephew, C. S. Lewis
A fantastic break from reality which soothes the soul with wholesome imaginations.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant, William R. Stanek
A purely technical resource with helpful procedural examples of Exchange administration.

Aaron O'Harra (Resource Consultant)

Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Francis Schaeffer
Well-reasoned insights on social injustice, cultural decay, and the gross perceptions of humanity. It is more relevant today than ever.

The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
Not only are the characters and story good, but the theology is rich. It is a church classic and definitely our family’s favorite.

The End for which God Created the World, Jonathan Edwards
I have not read a more difficult book, nor have I spent two hours reading six pages like I did in this one, yet it continues to be tremendously rewarding.

Peter Ostebo (Media Assistant)

Save the Cat, Blake Snyder
A book that was very insightful into the world of screenwriting.

Children of Men, P. D. James
Fascinating character development like I have never read before.

Perelandra, C. S. Lewis
Some of the most beautiful and realistic, yet completely alien, visuals I've read.

Abraham Piper (Web Content Editor)

Anything Can Happen, George and Helen Papashvily
The memoirs of a penniless Georgian immigrant in the 20s. Told from the heart in broken English. Funny and touching.

Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger
An endlessly amusing, simple yet profound look at what it's like to be a confused human being.

A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis
Words about sadness that don't pretend sadness can be put in words.

Jenny Rigney (Development and Operations Assistant)

Morning and Evening, C.H. Spurgeon
A very helpful resource to encourage meeting with the Lord throughout the day.

Lives of the Three Mrs. Judson's, Arabella Stuart
A biography of the three different wives of missionary Adoniram Judson.

Shopping For Time, Carolyn Mahaney
A very practical book on learning the disciplines of becoming a highly effective woman.

Josh Sowin (Website Manager)

Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter
An eye-opening look at how we’re all suggestible rebels in our consumption.

East of Eden, John Steinbeck
A fascinating mythic exploration of human depravity and freedom.

Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell
An excellent introduction to economics which restored some of my faith in free market capitalism.

Craig Sturm (Resource Consultant)

12 Books That Changed the World: How Words and Wisdom Have Shaped Our Lives, Melvin Bragg
A look at how 12 pieces of British literature helped shape the thoughts of western culture.

The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun, Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway
Challenging to some of my thoughts of how God works in our current age. I felt like I was reading previously unpublished stories from the book of Acts.

Let Justice Roll Down, John M. Perkins
Fascinating autobiography of the life and ministry of a leading African-American evangelical.

Mike Stokes (Media Assistant)

The Discipline of Grace, Jerry Bridges
A careful description of spiritual growth after conversion.

Provocations, Soren Kierkegaard
Thoughts, commentary, and analysis on Christianity and the subculture that grows around it.

The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell
How do culture-wide ideas/trends/products get their start and then seemingly materialize everywhere all at once?

Sarah Sweetman (Events Assistant)

The Last Sin Eater, Francine Rivers
Beautifully lays out the gospel through the captivating story of a little girl’s brave pursuit to find the freedom of truth.

Love that Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace, Gary and Betsy Ricucci
I was encouraged by the way the Ricuccis live out the gospel in their marriage. My prayer is to be able to do the same every day for as long as my husband and I both shall live.

The Taste of Home Cookbook
Easy to follow recipes, pictures for everything, great organization, and wonderful cooking resources.

Kristin Tabb (CDG Editorial Assistant)

My Heart in His Hands, Sharon James
Well-researched and fascinating account of Ann Judson’s well-lived life.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith
Gritty (but not overly graphic) turn-of-the-century coming-of-age novel.

1 Samuel, Dale Ralph Davis
Engaging and at times humorous look at this biblical book. An applicable commentary that our entire small group has enjoyed together this year.

Bill Walsh (Senior Director of Operations)

Teaching Cross-Culturally, Sherwood Lingenfelter
An excellent summary of the issues one faces when teaching in a missions context.

Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts, Hilary Brand and Adrienne Chaplin
Good foundation-builder for a Christian worldview of the arts.

Consider the Lilies, A Plea for Creational Theology, T. M. Moore
A Biblical case for creation appreciation and care.